And that’s precisely what happened to Rory McIlroy on Friday at The Players.
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Knost shares sixth with Jerry Kelly, Gary Woodland and former Ryder Cup players Boo Weekley and Francesco Molinari, while WGC-HSBC champion Russell Knox is also on nine under with three holes to finish.
PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla.
World No. 1 Jason Day sits two shots clear of the chasing pack late in the second round of the lucrative Players Championship at TPC Sawgrass, where lightning in the area has suspended play.
Bad weather has put a halt to day two of golf’s Players Championship at TPC Sawgrass.
Expectations soared as scores plunged on another day of moderate wind and soft greens.
Locally based Swede Jonas Blixt and German Alex Cejka chalked up second round 67s to move to 10-under-134 while Cameron Tringale joined them after a 69.
However, faced with a second shot from 271 yards, the four-time major victor surprisingly opted to lay up and then missed the green from 90 yards with his approach, before fluffing a chip and running up his only bogey of the day. For now, the strongest and deepest field in golf was taking dead aim.
Yes, these guys are good. Zack Fischer (Little Rock) shot a 70 and Andrew Landry (Razorbacks) had an even-par 71.
“A great shot”, said Day, who can be stingy with self-praise.
“Just couldn’t make anything the last two days, Fowler said”. He missed a 3-foot putt and took double bogey on his last hole.
The previous record for the back nine was 30 accomplished by 15 players, most recently by Geoff Ogilvy two years ago.
“Then I’m like, ‘OK, I think I can birdie 8 and 9, and that’ll clip the course record.’ It would be nice to shoot 10 under”, he said. “It’s probably going to be a costly 8 for me if I play well over the weekend, but you never know”.
Added Knost: “I’m a guy who enjoys the good life, I guess”.
“I was nervous on the 4- or 5-footer, however far it was”. This included 11 as he carded a 7-under 29 on the back nine to tie the day-old record set Lowry.
Lowry revealed on Thursday that his poor form had prompted an “emergency” call to his coach Neil Manchip before play began, while he also benefited from a putting tip from Graeme McDowell.
Knost made 10 birdies on Friday: five on the front nine, five on the back nine.
“I will have some opportunities on 15 and 16, as well”, Day said after play was called for the day. “I wasn’t able to make up for those with the putter”. “I’m hitting the ball great, which is what I’ve been working on the past couple weeks, trying to get more consistent and better ball-striking, better control of it”. With that in mind McIlroy may actually take more satisfaction in playing holes 1 to 9 in 35 than in glancing back towards the fireworks of his start.
Day, the first-round leader, had yet to tee off Friday.
Through it all, the theater was endless.
The biggest thrill belonged to Will Wilcox, who hit pitching wedge for a hole-in-one on the island-green 17th. Now those numbers have become 44 under and 12 over – a startling 56-shot difference.
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After a disappointing start which saw Lowry go one-over par through his first eight holes, his round sparked to life with this magnificent 120-yard eagle at the par-four 18th.
